Golf club, especially putter

ABSTRACT

A golf club, especially a putter has a preferably a straight shaft and an elongation, connected in a first angle and a substantially elongated club head, at which golf club the second angle between the elongation axis of the shaft and the elongation axis of the club head called lie, and the third angle between the elongation axis of the shaft elongation and the vertical plane of the club head called loft, are settable, whereas the shaft elongation us releasably connectable to the club head by an elongated connect element, called hosel, with an elongation axis. which when connected to the shaft elongation preferably coincides to the longation axis of the shaft elongation, whereas the club head is provided with a channel, running at right angle to its longitudinal axis, wherein first and second chosen direction elements are able to be introduced, at the outsides formed to be supported by the walls of the channel, in its insides so designed with recesses, that these so embrace the portion of the connection element, that projects downwards in the channel, that the chosen angles lie and loft, corresponding to the chosen direction elements, are settable, when the connection element is fixed to the club head.

This invention relates to a golf club, especially putter, preferablywith a straight shaft and an elongation, connected in a first angle anda substantially elongated club head, at which golf club the second anglebetween the elongation axis of the shaft and the elongation axis of theclub head called lie, and the third angle between the elongation axis ofthe shaft elongation and the vertical plane of the club head calledloft, are settable, whereas the shaft elongation us releasablyconnectable to the club head by an elongated connect element, calledhosel, with an elongation axis. which when connected to the shaftelongation preferably coincides to the longation axis of the shaftelongation, whereas the club head is provided with a channel, running atright angle to its longitudinal axis, wherein first and second chosendirection elements are able to be introduced, at the outsides formed tobe supported by the walls of the channel, in its insides so designedwith recesses, that these so embrace the portion of the connectionelement, that projects downwards in the channel, that the chosen angleslie and loft, corresponding to the chosen direction elements, aresettable, when the connection element is faxed to the club head.

Such clubs, for which the lie and loft may be changed according to thewish of the player are known in several designs. Among these, a Japanesemay be mentioned, disclosed in JP 2001 046557 A. In this, a connectionelement leads downwards into the inner of a club head, and the end ofthe connection element may be fastened by screwing in an inclined platein one of five holes. the possibilities of a personal choice of lie andloft seem to be rather limited, and if you would like to replace theplate with five holes, this seems to be a rather complicated procedure.Even U.S. Pat. No. 6,270,425 B1 should be mentioned. Here however, theconnection elements (here noted 24,25) are designed with partly conicalouter mantle (in combined position), which means, that the club headwill not be firmly anchored around the hostel (16). As mentioned, thereare many suggestions for the designing of golf clubs with adjustableangles for lie and loft, but none has proved to be so advantageous, thatit has won any large market.

There is thus a need for a golf club of the art mentionedintroductorily, admitting personal choices of lie and loft, still with asimple and reliable design.

According to the invention, such a golf club is primarily characterizedin that the connection elements in combined position show an outersubstantially rectangular cross section. With this design the directionelements may be adapted according to any person's requirements, and itis quite easy to shift the direction elements within e g a family orgroup. In one favorable embodiment of the golf club according to theinvention, the direction elements embrace the portion of the connectionelement, that projects downwards into the channel symmetrically. In thisway the direction elements will embrace the lower portion of theconnection elements along large surfaces and thus give a safe connectionbetween shaft and club head.

The golf club according to the invention shall now be described moreclosely, reference being made to the enclosed schematic figures, whereas

FIG. 1 shows a perspectivic exploded view of the most important detailsof the golf club according to the invention (with the shaft only inpart)

FIG. 2 shows a perspectivic exploded view of the most important detailsin FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 shows the definition of the lie angle,

FIG. 4 shows the definition of the loft angle, whilst

FIGS. 5 a and 5B show perspectivic views of two cooperating directionelements.

In the FIGS. 1 and 2 there is shown one embodiment of a golf clubaccording to the invention. A shaft is denoted by 1 and a relativelyshort shaft elongation 3, connected thereto at an angle 2, A club head 4with the typical design for a putter is via a connection element 10,among golf playing people called hosel, is connected to the shaftelongation 3. A screw 17, screwed into the lower portion of theconnection element 10 with the screw head supporting at offsets 22 and23 in the closed direction elements 13 and 14 in the club head fastensthe club head to 4 to the shaft elongation 3 through the channel 12vertically through the club head 4 and thus to the shaft 1. Theconnection element 10 is designed with an upper portion 18, with acylindric portion with a gear rim cross section which corresponds tocorrespondingly designed inside at the downwards open shaft elongation3. Thus the club head 4 may be mounted in a desired way in relationshipto the shaft elongation. Before the club is mounted through thevertical, rectangular channel 12 of the club head, in the way justdescribed, two cooperating direction elements 12,14 (FIGS. 5A and 5B)are chosen, with the desired lie and loft angles cfr, FIGS. 3 and 4.Here the angle 5 between the and the longitudinal axis 6 of the shaft 1and the longitudinal axis 7 of the club head equals the lie angle, andthe angle 8 between the longitudinal axis 9 of the shaft elongation 3and the vertical plane of the club head 4 equals the loft angle.

The connection element 10 is formed with a half- spheric ring 19, thatcorresponds to a recess 20 at the upper side of the club head, whenscrewed together. The direction elements 13 and 14 are provided withrecesses 15 and 16, corresponding to each other, symmetrically embracingthe portion 21 of the connection element, that projects downwards in thechannel 12. The direction elements 13,14 show, when put together anouter, substantially rectangular cross section, as is also the case forthe channel 12.

1. Golf club, especially putter, preferably with a straight shaft (1)and an elongation (3), connected in a first angle (2) and asubstantially elongated club head (4) at which golf club the secondangle (5) between the elongation axis (6) of the shaft and theelongation, axis (7) of the club head called lie, and the third angle(8) between the elongation axis (9) of the shaft elongation (3) and thevertical plane of the club head (4) called loft, are settable, whereasthe shaft elongation (3) is releasably connectable to the club head (4)by an elongated connect element (10), called hosel, with an elongationaxis (11) which when connected to the shaft elongation (3) preferablycoincides to the elongation axis (9) of the shaft elongation (3),whereas the club head (4) is provided with a channel (12), running atright angle to its longitudinal axis (7), wherein first and secondchosen direction elements (13,14) are able to be introduced, at theoutsides formed to be supported by the walls of the channel (12), in itsinsides so designed with recesses (15,16) that these so embrace theportion (21) of the connection element (10), that projects downwards inthe channel (12), that the chosen angles lie and loft, corresponding tothe chosen direction elements (13,14), are settable, when the connectionelement (10) is fixed to the club head (4) characterised In, that thedirection elements (13,14) when comnied embrace the connection element(10) show an outer substantially rectangular cross section.
 2. Golf clubaccording to claim 1, characterised In, that the direction elements(13,14) embrace the portion (21) of the connection element(10)projecting downwards into the channel (12) symmetrically.